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New to The Auteurs? You Belong Here over 3 years ago

Hi, I’m David. I live in southwest Missouri. I’ve been in love with movies since I was seven or eight, when I first saw Raising Arizona. I think this website has potential to be really great and I hope to learn a lot here.

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QUENTIN TARANTINO over 3 years ago

I don’t have time to read all of the posts here, especially since some of the early ones don’t even seem to have anything to do with Tarantino, but I’ll throw my opinion out there:

Tarantino has written some of the hackiest, most embarrassing dialogue in the business. He’s been Kevin Smith-bad at times in that respect. That said, I think Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction are great movies, both having been helped enormously by incredible acting performances. I think Jackie Brown is pretty good. I think Kill Bill is fun, but that’s also when “Tarantino-style” officially started to really bother me. And Death Proof was foot-fetish garbage. I think it’s kind of cool what they did with Grindhouse, but neither of the movies were particularly entertaining. I’ve read the Inglorious Basterds (sic) script that leaked a while back and, unless it gets tightened up dramatically, it’s not a very good script. I have a feeling, though, that QT’s talents as a stylistically inclined director will benefit him greatly and the movie will probably be considered a return to form for the guy. I will probably see it opening weekend, despite my sort of love/hate feelings for him.

One thing is for certain, he’s not a genius. He’s just an enthusiastic director who wears his vast variety of influences on his sleeve, which I don’t necessarily consider a bad thing.

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QUENTIN TARANTINO over 3 years ago

Well, J.R., to each his own, and I do think Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction are pretty great, but the rambling hip-speak really started to get annoying in Jackie Brown and it’s only gotten worse sense. Most of the dialogue in Death Proof made me cringe, and Kill Bill had plenty of stupid in it. If he had someone telling him to try and tone it down here and there (Robert Rodriguez or Harry Knowles would not be ideal) it would make all the difference in the world. I don’t expect that to happen, though.

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If you had to pick ONE film as your favorite... over 3 years ago

Yikes. There are so many different factors than can alter this answer. For example, whatever I end up saying my favorite movie is, I doubt it’s the one I would take to a desert island with me. Hmm…

All signs point to Fargo, I guess. My issue with calling it my favorite is that it’s very seasonal for me. I can watch it and love it whenever, I just don’t. When I look at my DVD shelf or whatever Fargo doesn’t jump out at me as a movie to watch. I think I’m pretty seasonal with my repeat viewings of movies. Weird.

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Controversial opinion: Orson Welles is not very good over 3 years ago

So that’s what this board is going to be about? Tarantino is a genius and Welles stinks? Everybody’s got an opinion! Oh, Internet… I lohateve you.

Welles was an incredible filmmaker who deserved to have people throwing money at him at all times, begging him to make anything he wanted. I think the world missed out on several masterpieces because of studio issues and lack of funds over the years. I think he could have kicked out movies like Hitchcock if they would have just given him the money and left him alone. At least until he got bored with it, that is.

Regarding his acting, I think he’s incredible, but he’s obviously a stage actor more than a movie actor.

Where is all this information on what movies Bergman did and did not like coming from? I’ve read the quote on Welles in the past but I’ve never heard/read him talking about Godard or American Beauty. Source me up.

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If you had to pick ONE film as your favorite... over 3 years ago

Yeah, mine would be The ’Burbs or Empire Strikes Back probably. That was my summer vacation during grade school, watch them both every day during the day, play basketball in the evening when it got cool. Sometimes throw in a Karate Kid or Teen Wolf. Rinse, repeat.

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12-year old asking... over 3 years ago

Man, Over The Edge is so awesome. I would have LOVED to have seen that as a kid. I could never find it, though. In the early 90s I remember reading about Kurt Cobain desperately trying to find a copy of Over The Edge, referring to it as one of his guilty celebrity indulgences, tracking something like that down several states away. I saw it for the first time a few years ago. So good. I saw Over The Edge, Paris, Texas, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf all for the first time in the same weekend. Talk about incredible movies.

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12-year old asking... over 3 years ago

Also, I would definitely back Small Change. I could make an argument for it being Truffaut’s best movie, even if I don’t fully believe that. It’s close, though, for me, at least.

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Controversial opinion: Orson Welles is not very good over 3 years ago

I haven’t clicked any thumbs, nor do I know what they do. I’m guessing something silly. We should trade out the thumbs for the ability to quote other people’s posts so we can respond accordingly. That would be helpful.

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Rate The Last Film You Watched over 3 years ago

El Mariachi
64/100

This movie really only appealed to me in that I wanted to see what they did with such a small budget. It’s kind of a neat movie, but very cheesy, and the direction is… I don’t know. RR has gotten better, I can say that much. There are a lot of kung fu movie-style zooms on people’s faces and things. Pretty cool what he did considering what he was working with.

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Films you love but most people hate. over 3 years ago

Punch-Drunk Love
The Man Who Wasn’t There
American Beauty
Clifford
Joe Dirt
Stroszek

There are plenty more than this not coming to mind at the moment…

I don’t particularly like Harold & Maude, which seems to blow people’s mind. I do, however, love The Last Detail.

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Controversial opinion: Orson Welles is not very good over 3 years ago

Man, Welles in The Third Man is incredible. I don’t know how that can be denied.

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Which film has changed your life forever? over 3 years ago

If I’m sticking to the bare bones of it, probably Raising Arizona, Taxi Driver, Rushmore, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I could get fancier than that, but these three movies literally altered the way I think and speak. In one case, not necessarily in a good way. I saw Eternal Sunshine in the theater three times and it just destroyed me each time. I own the two-disc DVD and have never watched it. There’s something comforting about having it but I don’t want to put myself through that. It’s like Dancer In the Dark; incredible movie, but I can’t watch that again. Are you kidding me?

Recently, though, in the past few years, there have been a few newer movies that have really affected me deeply. Those would be Lars and the Real Girl, The Three Burials of Melquiadis Estrada, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly above all others.

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thread where we talk about music over 3 years ago

These are the performers I’ve listened to the most in the past year, according to Last FM:

The Ergs!
Dillinger Four
The Kinks
Circle Jerks
Guided by Voices
The Velvet Underground
The Rolling Stones
Hank Williams
Woody Guthrie
Joe Pass
Merle Haggard
Daniel Johnston
Loretta Lynn
Lemuria
Frédéric Chopin

So as to not annoy mutli-instrumental improvisationalist Against Mr. Boo, I will explain WHY I like each band/musician listed.

The Ergs! – This is a punk band from New Jersey who just played their last show a couple of weekends ago. I’m very sad they won’t be making anymore music before they were incredible. In the vain of The Descendents but tighter and more talented, with occasional jazz, hardcore, and country elements thrown in. And a Weird Al, Nirvana, or Vince Guarldi cover thrown in here and there. The Ergs! could do anything.

Dillinger Four – Minnesota punk rock band. Made my favorite album ever, Midwestern Songs of the Americas. Best lyrics in the business.

The Kinks – …it’s The Kinks. Surely I don’t need to explain this. I’ve listened mostly to Part One Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround and The Village Green Preservation Society mostly this year, although I enjoy most of their other albums as well, especially Arthur…

Circle Jerks – I only recently realized what a great album Group Sex is. So I’ve been listening to it. A lot. Sixteen minutes of awesome.

Guided by Voices – Great, bizarre songwriting with hooks, drunken antics, indie rock gods. Really, for better or worse, there would be no “indie rock” without Guided By Voices. If you’re not familiar, see the albums Alien Lanes, Bee Thousand, and Propeller. Lo-fi haters need not apply.

The Velvet Underground – I just listen to this band a lot. Have since I was 13 or so. They destroy 99% of the bands from the 60s.

The Rolling Stones – This is one of the only bands from the 60s The VU does not destroy. I don’t need to explain.

Hank Williams – The greatest songwriter to ever live. One of the greatest singers.

Woody Guthrie – …it’s Woody Guthrie.

Joe Pass – I don’t know what my deal with Joe Pass is. I’ve flirted with the idea of committing to learning jazz guitar a few times this year, so I’ve listened to a lot of jazz guitar. I’m surprised I haven’t listened to more Tal Farlow or Grant Green. Anyway, Joe Pass is just an incredible player. Listening to him makes me want to throw my guitars away. This is probably why I still haven’t started working hard on learning how to play jazz!

Merle Haggard – Um, he’s awesome. I don’t know what’s not to like about Merle Haggard. Great songs, great voice, great attitude, good band. He’s solid across the board.

Daniel Johnston – One of my favorites. Has written some of the most heartbreaking songs ever. Once again, lo-fi haters need not apply.

Loretta Lynn – Even better attitude than Merle! Loretta is one of the best. Her songs can be vicious. When she sings “Who Says God is Dead!” it makes me actually think I believe in God for a minute.

Lemuria – Awesome indie punk band from Buffalo. Get Better is probably the best album of 2008. Great songs, great female lead vocals with low male harmonies. Great drumming in this band. They’re just great. I’m not very articulate. I’m trying, Against Mr. Boo!

Frédéric Chopin – I like Preludes Opus 28. A lot. IX E Major especially. Really, though, all of them.

Thus concludes my Black Friday Hangover description of the music I’ve listened to most in 2008. Smell ya later.

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CLASSIC FILM NOIR over 3 years ago

The Maltese Falcon is the definitive film noir. It lives up to the hype. I don’t know what the prototypical noir is, though. I would have to give that a lot more thought. I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang, White Heat, The Sweet Smell of Success, The Third Man, In a Lonely Place… These are all incredible film noirs, but I wouldn’t call them prototypical. Also, what is and isn’t film noir can easily be debated. Is M a film noir? Is Night of the Hunter? They’re both bad ass movies, I can tell you that much, but I could understand someone arguing that they’re not noir. Personally, though, I would probably count them. What about Ace in the Hole? I get thrown off when noirs take place in areas that are not dark and urban. I suppose The Petrified Forest is like that, too, but I’ve always given it noir status…

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Fantastic Mr. Fox over 3 years ago

I trust everything Wes does. He has yet to fail me like so many others have.

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ANYONE ELSE STARTING TO ABANDON DVD FOR BLU-RAY? over 3 years ago

I don’t even have a 1080p television yet, and there’s no point in watching lu-ray without it. The TV will be a 2009 purchase. I’m not completely sold on Blu-ray yet, though. They, like most businesses in the world these days, are not doing well. If Christmas isn’t a big pick me up for it they might not last, either. And it won’t be long until most movies are available in high definition for streaming online. I just don’t expect Blu-ray to last that long. I might feel differently come next year when I get a new TV, but we will see.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t semi-jealous of people who have made the switch, though.

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College film-lovers, unite! over 3 years ago

I went to Mizzou for three years and dropped out because my girlfriend dumped me and I’m dramatic. There were two film courses at the time and I took them both. The were basically Film from Beginning to 1945 and Film 1946-Present. The latter was Oscar themed. The next year they started offered film as a minor, I think. I don’t know if they still do. I haven’t even been in the new Ragtag. I sort of miss Columbia.

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CLASSIC FILM NOIR over 3 years ago

The Killing. Yes. Definitely. So good.

I would also like to back my own support of The Maltese Falcon. I was spot on when I mentioned it in my previous post.

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Which Movies Have You Walked Out On? over 3 years ago

It takes a lot for me to walk out on a movie. It needs to be terrible. I watched An American Carol last month and did not walk out, that’s how hard it is to get me to walk out of a movie. I went to laugh at how not funny it was, though. It was so not funny it was hilarious!

Anyway, I’ve walked out on three movies.

1. Dante’s Peak: I found out later I only missed the last ten minutes. I should have walked out when the grandma jumped in the lava lake and pushed the family’s boat to safety.

2. Tomkats: I snuck into this movie with a friend. I never would have considered paying to see this. I think we left when they testicular cancer talk started. My roommate and I went home and told our third roommate (we were in college, living in a duplex) that Tomkats was one of the funniest movies we’d ever seen and that he should take his girlfriend to see it tomorrow. He did. He told us he couldn’t believe we thought that movie was funny and we laughed and laughed and laughed at him. Then he told us about how they eat the testicle in it. Gross. I’m glad we walked out when we did.

3. Cruel Intentions: I hated this movie so much that I walked out despite the fact that I had a ticket to another movie starting 30 minutes after Cruel Intentions was over. And my parents had dropped me off so I had nowhere to go. It was that awful that I sat in the lobby for 45 minutes until my next movie started seating. I think the next movie was 200 Cigarettes which I remember thinking was pretty good. Anyway, Cruel Intentions is the worst.

I almost walked out on Kansas City, but I was young when that came out. I should give that another chance sometime.

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Which Movies Have You Walked Out On? over 3 years ago

Croenenberg or that Haggis piece of crap?

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Which Movies Have You Walked Out On? over 3 years ago

Hot Fuzz is excellent in my bok.

I would have LOVED to have seen The ’Burbs in the theater. It is my favorite comedy ever, slightly ahead of Clifford.

There was a time when I liked Fight Club, but I really have no taste for anything Palahniuk writes anymore, so I would expect to Choke to be pretty bad.

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Age / Level of education? (An informal poll) over 3 years ago

27, two and a half years worth of credits at a state school. Dropped out due to obscene self-hatred and contempt for the world (my girlfriend dumped me). Declared my 20s a wash, have been doing basically nothing since. Work at a shitty job for a while, play in a shitty band for a while, find somewhere weird to go, go there for a while, come back broke, work shitty job for a while, play in a shitty band, etc… Within the past year or two I decided to unwash my 20s, though. I’m ready to try and finish up school and become one of those high school English teachers who makes all his students laugh by making surprisingly modern pop culture references that I think make me cool but make the students think I’m really lame. Patches on my elbows and whatnot. I will strongly consider grad school for film studies, a degree that is most likely worthless (sorry) but, still, the only degree that I’ve ever desperately wanted even since I was a young kid. Maybe I could write some dope ass theories or some shit. I’m going to make film studies a threat again! Ha.

So, yeah. I’m 27 and a college dropout. Women adore me.

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Best Musicians Turned "Actors" over 3 years ago

I don’t know if Dwight Yokam has been mentioned yet, but I think he’s a great actor. Especially in Sling Blade, of course, but I’ve never seen him give a poor performances. He was also particularly excellent in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, one of the very best movies of this decade.

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Which Movies Have You Walked Out On? over 3 years ago

Walking out on a piece of shit movie is invigorating. I’ve only done it three times, but I don’t regret it. Well, I regret going in the first place, but I don’t regret not finishing the movies.

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Which Movies Have You Walked Out On? over 3 years ago

Oh, wow! Dreamcatcher! I totally walked out on that movie! I completely forgot about that. I don’t think I made it more than 30 minutes. I barely remember anything. Wow, that was a horrible movie. Put me down for four walkouts, I suppose.

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Argento over 3 years ago

I saw Tenebrae five years ago or so and did not think much of it at all. I might not have given it my full attention, though, because I don’t remember a lot about it. I saw Suspiria a week or so ago, though, and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I’m not a horror movie guy at all, but Suspiria made me want to see some more.

Asia’s sorta hot sometimes. I think XXX is the only movie I’ve ever seen her in, though. Heh. Maybe Marie Antionette. I think she was in that, right? Maybe?

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Andy Warhol over 3 years ago

I never got what was so great about Edie other than the fact that she was hot.

Andy was talented and did some cool stuff, but I don’t think of him as a hero or anything, he was just a good artist who people often accuse of being overrated because he created more hype for his art than it deserved… which… may have been the point? I don’t want to get all deep and shit defending Andy Warhol, though, because it’s not like I think he was amazing. I just enjoy some of his work and appreciate a small (not all) amount of the fuss he so often caused.

I’ve never actually seen any of his movies, though. I’ve always assumed they were bad, but I should check some out sometime.

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Best British Film over 3 years ago

Has The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner been mentioned yet? It sure as shit should have been. The Third Man is the answer, though, despite it not feeling British. And Kind Hearts and Coronets is a top five comedy ever.

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CLASSIC FILM NOIR over 3 years ago

Elevator to the Gallows is one of the best movies ever, I think. I’ve only seen it once, but I’m getting it for Christmas finally. I can’t wait to see a it a few more times and let it sink in some more.

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